The Smallest Things
by Shaye1106
Summary: Yep, their children are crazy. Sometimes they're a little too stubborn and a little too hyper and a little too adventurous for their own good. But in moments like this, she can't seem to mind. Because they're a little too cute and a little too sweet and a little too loving for their own good, too. Or, Maya and Lucas tackle parenthood.
1. You and Me

"I don't understand why you always fight me on this," Maya says, gesturing to the area around them. "You're so southern." He begins to protest, but is silenced with a raise of his wife's eyebrow. "You brought us to a hoedown."

"It's actually a bizarre."

"Whatever." Maya grabs hold of her daughter's hand. "The jokes are true."

"Not all of them."

"Most of them." She nods to her two-year-old sweetheart. "You even put Sadie in a cowgirl hat and boots."

Lucas laughs, taking his daughter's hand from Maya's and lifting her into his arms. "Mama is silly, isn't she?" Lucas tickles her stomach, smiling at the laughter that bubbles up in Sadie's chest. "Who picked out your clothes?" Sadie smirks, pointing a finger at Maya. "Mama. Mama!"

"Throw me under the bus, why dontcha?" Maya smiles. "She had to be dressed for the occasion. The one _you_ planned."

"Oh, give it a rest." Lucas wraps his free arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. "Even you are wearing boots and plaid." He presses a kiss to her hair. "You love it," he murmurs.

"Mmm, I'll never tell," she laughs. "Let's go find some food, the baby's starving."

"Of course." At the glint in Maya's eyes, Lucas looks sheepish. "What does baby boy Friar want?"

Maya, annoyed with his snide remark, tries to remain angry, but the hunger and his pout win out. "A corn dog. And funnel cake." She closes her eyes, thinking.

"That's actually pretty normal."

"And ketchup."

"For the corn dog?"

"For the funnel cake." She gives him a look. "And don't comment. I'm going to have a push a tiny human out of me in a few weeks and it's all your fault. Don't push me."

"Noted," he says, even though all that's currently running through his head is _it takes two to tango._

They start walking again, on the lookout for food, when Maya feels something different, something not right. Lucas stops a few feet ahead of her, having been distracted by a conversation with Sadie. "Is everything alright?"

Maya looks into his eyes briefly before shutting them in pain, clenching her abdomen. "These don't feel like Braxton Hicks."

Lucas is at her side in an instant, pulling her close and reminding her to breathe. In one, two, three, out four, five, six, seven, eight. "Let's get you to the hospital." They're walking back to Pappy Joe's truck within a few minutes, Maya grateful that her contractions are still relatively far apart. Maya is sitting in the front seat, buckled in, with a bottle of ice cold water as soon as he unlocks the car. Meanwhile, Lucas straps in Sadie, kissing her forehead, before joining his wife in the front of the truck.

During the entire fifteen minute drive to St. David's Medical Center, Maya is silent. She doesn't take his hand as another contraction hits. She doesn't cry out in pain-as she had done, very often, with Sadie's delivery-she doesn't even whimper. She's staring aimlessly at the road ahead, a hard, unblinking stare. Lucas doesn't know what to make of it, but he decides to use her thinking time as the perfect opportunity to call Pappy Joe. "Hey, Maya's having contractions and we're on the way to the hospital. Can you pick up Sadie?" She doesn't hear the other end of the conversation, but she's assuming he said yes because Lucas has already hung up and is driving even more recklessly than before. Breathe in one, two, three, out four, five, six, seven, eight.

Soon enough, they've arrived at the hospital and Lucas is shouting for assistance from the nurse who just brought out a discharged patient in a wheelchair. She's quick to make her way over with the now-empty chair, offering it to Maya. Maya doesn't accept any help, but graciously lowers herself down, wincing in pain. By the time the nurse is wheeling her inside, toward the maternity unit, Lucas has managed to unbuckle his little girl and is carrying her as they trail closely behind.

"Shit." Maya says, the tears in her eyes beginning to show. Lucas looks over to see Maya staring at her maternity jeans, particularly the wet spot that has since appeared. "My water broke."

The nurse communicates this to the prenatal nurses, who quickly bring her to an empty room and rush around her. Lucas is pushed out of the circle and he's terrified, answering the nurses' never-ending stream of questions. "How far along is she?"

"36 weeks."

"Has the baby been healthy up until now?"

"Yes."

"Bedrest?"

"No."

They're taking her vitals and he can see glimpses of Maya's face, disgruntled and overwhelmed by the swarm. She likes her personal space. "Okay, Mrs. Friar," the head nurse, Tracy, says, "You are definitely in labor. You're dilated four inches, still have a while more to go. We'll be in to check on you soon." Tracy ushers the other nurses out of the room, closing the door behind her to give the family some semblance of privacy.

The room is silent. It seems like no one knows what to say or how to react to this sudden change in events. The silence, however, is suddenly broken by Lucas' obnoxious Bonanza ringtone-the one Maya changed as a joke earlier in the day; now the morning seems like a lifetime ago. "Hello?" She hears him answer, her eyes trained on the sterile, white wall. "Yes, room 211. Thanks. Yeah. Okay."

"Pappy Joe is outside." Maya nods. He wants to question her distance, but right now he's still holding on to his very scared daughter and can't upset either of his girls any more.

"Mama has a boo-boo." Sadie's bottom lip is quivering and she's pointing to her mother's scrunched face. "Fix it, Daddy."

Lucas sighs. "I wish I could, Princess." He hugs her a little tighter. Sadie nuzzles into Lucas' chest and mumbles against his skin. "When it better?"

"Soon. Hopefully soon." Lucas rubs her back. "Mama's going to be okay. It's okay." He walks over to Maya, trying to give her his hand, but she shakes him off. He's worried now. None of this is like her. The distance between them isn't normal; they're usually always touching in some way or another.

"Luke." Pappy Joe is standing at the door, making his presence known. Lucas nods for him to enter, handing Sadie to her grandfather after a quick kiss to her cheek. "Pappy Joe is going to take you out for a while."

"You stay?" Sadie asks.

Lucas nods. "I'll see you soon. Mommy and Daddy love you."

"I love you," Sadie says, blowing a kiss. "Bye-bye."

"Good luck," Pappy Joe says. "I'll take good care of her, Maya." Maya grimaces, but he knows that she heard him. Pappy Joe is quick to distract Sadie, bringing her out of the room and promising her some ice cream, and before long Lucas and Maya are alone.

"Can I get you anything?" Lucas asks, scoping the room for an ice cup.

Maya shakes her head, choosing to remain silent. "You sure? I can get some ice. I can get some water or run to the cafeteria to pick up something light?" Maya shakes her head again. She's still focused on the wall.

Deciding that this is definitely not normal, Lucas pulls a worn chair over to her bedside, sits down, and grabs her hands. She tries to pull away but he holds them, firmly but gently, smoothing his thumbs over her fists. "Talk to me. Please." He hears her sniffle and lets out a sigh. "I thought you were trying to be strong for Sadie, but it's something else. I know you Maya. Something isn't right. Please talk to me."

She lets out a heavy, wavering breath. "You're right. Something isn't right." She turns to face him. "We're not supposed to be here. This wasn't supposed to happen." He can see that she's on the verge of tears-she's holding them back, though.

"You're right," he soothes. "We didn't plan to be here." She turns her head back to the wall, her body shaking from nervous energy. "But our little boy is going to be okay. The nurse said that you are both going to be okay."

Her voice cracks as she whispers, "But it's too soon. What if he's not okay?"

"You're far enough along that he'll most likely be fine. And if he's not, we will cross that bridge when we come to it." He lets go of one of her hands and uses it to gently guide her eyes to his. "Together."

"Promise?"

"Always," he says. "Now can I get you anything?"

Maya laughs at the exasperation in Lucas' voice. "Maybe some water. And ice. I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Okay, I'll be right back." He's leaving the room as Tracy returns and he feels a little better about leaving Maya with someone else there. The ice machine is only down the hall, but Lucas walks quickly and with a mission in sight. The sooner he gets this, the sooner he can get back to Maya.

He returns in less than five minutes, the pitcher and ice cup in his hand, only to be met with a "She's ready!" and "We're bringing you to the delivery room." He's shocked at how fast this delivery is progressing-Sadie took a grueling twelve hours-but he hides his surprise and nerves for the sake of Maya. Dr. Catal is with them shortly, instructing Maya to push when she feels the urge and to breathe in between. Maya is screaming, crushing Lucas' hand in a death grip, no care for the tears that now cascade down her face. "You're doing great," Lucas murmurs. He moves to pull her hair into a ponytail, getting it out of her eyes, without her even asking. "Almost there."

"Lucas, it hurts," Maya whimpers, pulling Lucas closer to her.

"I'm so sorry you're going through this." He kisses her forehead. "I'm sorry I can't make it better."

The doctor looks up, an encouraging smile on her face. "He's crowning. Let's give three more good pushes, Maya."

He prepares for her grip, which tightens considerably in the next twenty minutes. However, it somehow doesn't feel so long when he's hearing "The shoulders are out!" and "He's almost here," being shouted. And with one final push, the baby has made his grand entrance into the world, the first thing he hears being Maya's shout of "Oh, fuck!" But, somehow, neither parent seems to care. The nurses take the baby over to the scale and they wait in anticipation for his cry, Maya blubbering as she hears her son's shrill wail.

"Congratulations! You two have a healthy baby boy, born on July 12th, six pounds one ounce, 18 inches." The doctor nods to the nurse, who places the little boy on his mother's chest.

"He's perfect," Maya cries, rubbing her fingers along the tuft of blonde hair on his head.

"He is," Lucas nods, entranced.

"You were in quite the rush, Little Man."

"Didn't want to miss out on the fun, isn't that right?" Lucas coos.

"Hoedown," Maya chuckles, still loopy with pain. Lucas shakes his head, a loving grin on his face. "Let's name him Austin."

"What?"

"Austin. I think his name should be Austin."

"Are you sure? I mean, that wasn't on our list of names and you're a little out of it and I know how you feel about-"

"Do you not like it?" She looks nervous, vulnerable even, and he doesn't want her to ever feel that way. In truth, he's always loved the name, but never thought she'd go for it.

"I love it." Looking at two of his three favorite people in the world, Lucas adds, "Austin Hunter Friar."

Maya looks up in shock, a watery grin on her face. "Really?"

"Definitely."

She carefully shifts Austin into his father's arms. "I love you, Huckleberry."

"I love you, too." He reaches for her hand. "You and me?"

"You and me."

 _ **So...this story was begging to be written. Thanks for reading :) Please let me know what you think.**_


	2. Unleash the Crazy

_**I'm trying to update every Friday :)**_ _ **Next Up: Riley meets baby Austin.**_

Their kids are a handful. Especially when Lucas is called into work and Maya is off with the kids and home alone.

"Mama, can I get the shoes?" Sadie asks, holding on to Maya's hand as they walk through the second-hand shop.

"What shoes?" Maya pushes the stroller down a new aisle.

"The boots." She lets go of her Mom's hand, running back to where she saw what she wanted.

"Sadie Jade! Come back here. You can't just run off." Maya rubs her temples before turning the stroller around. They're already running late: they have to meet Riley this afternoon and, in order to do that, they need to leave the store soon, get home, get their stuff, and get to the baby play cafe in an hour.

"Deese." Sadie smiles, holding the pair of cowgirl boots proudly. "Can I have dem."

" _Them_ ," Maya enunciates.

"Them," Sadie repeats. Maya cocks her head, giving her best Mom stare. "Please."

"That was very polite." Maya looks at the price tag, nodding to herself. "You can get them, but no more running away from Mommy." Sadie grins and jumps to hug her mom. "You scare Mommy when you do that. And you could get lost."

"Okay," Sadie agrees. She grabs onto the stroller handle. "Can me help push?"

"Sure thing." Maya boxes Sadie in, her hands on the outside of her daughter's. "Time to check out." They stroll over to the checkout counter, Maya trying not to step on Sadie's feet, and pay for the boots, the baby overalls, and Maya's flats. Swiping her card and lifting Sadie up into her arms, Maya pushes the stroller with one hand toward her car. Both the kids are buckled in and Maya goes to pull out when she hears a shriek.

"Ew!" Sadie starts to whine. "Austin is gross."

Turning around, Maya takes note of the line of drool coming from her son's mouth, some of which must have made it's way onto Sadie's arm (but who knows how that happened). She opens the center console and pulls out a few napkins, then wipes Austin and Sadie off. "Better?" Sadie nods. Maya lets out a breath before putting the car in reverse and making her way out of the parking lot.

Traffic is heavy, as is the usual in New York, and it takes another twenty minutes, two sippy cups of water, and five minutes of Austin screaming for them to make it back to their apartment.

As soon as she unlocks the door, she runs to the changing table and tries to contain Austin's squirms. She moves on to Sadie, changing her soiled diaper. Then, letting the kids roam, she packs snacks, water, and an extra pair of socks for the play area. She soon notices that although Austin was playing in one of the kitchen cabinets a few minutes prior, he is now nowhere to be seen. "Seriously?" Maya groans as she throws up her hands. She walks to the laundry room and finds her son shoving food from the dog's bowl into his mouth. "Austin, Mommy will let you do a lot of things. Eating dog food is not one of them." She picks him up and uses her finger to pull some uneaten pieces out of his mouth. Noticing the food-laced goo running from his mouth, she cringes. "Let's brush your teeth."

She carries Austin to the upstairs bathroom, running the baby toothbrush under some water, then adding the fluoride-free toothpaste. She's brushing his few teeth when Sadie shouts, "Mama!"

"Sadie, you need to come here. Mama is busy."

"Mama!"

"Come up here!"

"Mama!"

"Oh, for goodness sake," Maya huffs, finishing up with Austin's mouth. She runs down the stairs, baby on her hip, to see Sadie sitting by the door with her new boots on, her hair bow thrown on the ground, and her dress-up skirt on top of her clothes. "What the-"

"We ready to go? I want to see Aunt Riley and 'Lijah."

"That's all you wanted?" Maya chuckles. "My impatient and mismatched little girl." Maya ruffles Sadie's hair. "Let Mommy grab the bags and then we'll go see Elijah."

"Okay." Sadie turns to look at Austin. "Austin kisses." She smiles, planting an open-mouthed kiss on her brother's cheek.

Yep, their children are crazy. Sometimes they're a little too stubborn and a little too hyper and a little too adventurous for their own good. But in moments like this, Maya can't seem to mind. Because they're a little too cute and a little too sweet and a little too loving for their own good, too.

 _ **To all of the guests that commented, you guys are sweethearts; thank you! The comments honestly mean so much to me!**_ _ **If you'd like, I'd really appreciate some feedback and commentary on this chapter :)**_

 _ **~Kylie**_


	3. Riley Time

_Today: Riley meets Austin._

 _Next Up: Lucas spends some alone time with the kids :)_

 _Thanks for all of your lovely comments. You guys seriously make my day!_

 ** _Riley Time_**

"Let me see him! Let me see him!" Riley pushes through the crowded baggage claim, elbowing people (and shouting a quick sorry after she's already passed) to get closer to her surrogate nephew. "Peaches!" Riley smiles when she finally sees Maya cradling Austin close to her chest.

"Hi, Honey. How are-"

"This all has to wait!" Riley throws her hands up, clearing her throat for her British Riley. "Riley Minkus has come all the way here to meet Mr. Austin Hunter Friar." She smiles at Maya, returning to her regular voice. "Just because I don't do it often, doesn't mean that I can't."

"I never thought it was gone." Riley tilts her head, shooting Maya a you-know-me-so-well smile.

"But enough of this." Riley holds out her arms and raises her eyebrows. "I came here to meet my nephew." Maya nods and carefully hands Austin to Riley, cradling his head and neck for a smooth transition. Finally in Riley's arms, Austin shifts, opening his clear blue eyes. "He's perfect," Riley coos. Without looking up from her nephew's face, she adds, "He has your eyes, Maya."

"Good thing." Maya ruffles Sadie's hair. "Because she is turning out to be all Lucas."

"How can you say that?" Lucas chuckles. "We both have blonde hair and fair skin."

Maya huffs. "She looks like you, in the face." She picks up Sadie, sliding her on her hip, careful of her still-present delivery pain. "And you have Daddy's eyes, don't you D?" Sadie nods before burrowing into her mother's chest, tired from the flight. "All the pregnancy hormones and morning sickness and delivery pain for her to come out looking like her dad," she jokes.

"Bed time?" Sadie pipes up, bored with the conversation and exhausted from the trip.

"Soon, love," Lucas says, rubbing his hand along her back. "We'll be home soon." He turns to Riley, who is now making funny faces at Austin. "Where's Elijah and Farkle?"

"At home. I was going to bring Elijah, but then Farkle said that airports aren't exactly kid-friendly and I was already picking up your two little guys." Riley bops Austin's nose. "Farkle sends his best, too."

"I'm sure he does," Maya says. She wraps her arms tighter around her daughter. Spotting their luggage, Lucas excuses himself, leaving Maya with Sadie and a doting Riley.

"Elijah play?" Sadie says, turning just enough so that she's not speaking into Maya's neck.

Riley looks up, using her free hand to brush back some of Sadie's golden locks. "He can't wait to play with you." Her face lights up with a smile-a smile that Riley mimics.

Lucas is back within a few minutes, hauling two duffels over his shoulders. "Well that's all of it. We're set to go."

Maya nods, kissing Sadie's forehead and placing her back on her feet. "It's time to walk, sweetness."

Reluctantly, Riley hands Austin to Maya. She then turns to her niece. "Want to hold my hand?" Sadie grabs on, her smaller hand fitting perfectly in her aunt's warm one. "I'm parked around back," she says, leading the way to the lot for temporary parking.

They walk slower with Sadie's tiny steps and Lucas carrying the bags. Or, technically, the bags don't slow him down, but he stops at every wince from a very sore Maya. "I'm fine, Huckleberry."

"You don't have to be so strong," he murmurs in exasperation.

"I'm fine," she repeats. "Besides, I see the car."

"I got the car seat from your house and set it up." Riley unlocks the car. "I promise, it's all up to code. Farkle put it in."

Nodding his head, a tender smile on his face, Lucas says, "Thanks." Lucas settles Sadie in her carseat, while Maya handles Austin. After finishing up with Sadie, Lucas places a hand on his wife's back. "You sit up front."

"Are you sure? I'm smaller than you. I can sit between the carseats."

"But you shouldn't have to." He brushes a loose curl from her eyes. "It's okay."

She leans up to press a chaste kiss to his lips. It says thank you, I love you, and you really are a great husband all in one breath. She pulls away after a few seconds, biting her lip in a smile. Then, she settles into the passenger seat.

As soon as she's buckled and ready to go, Riley leans over with a small, caring smile on her face. Then, without warning, she lands a punch to Maya's shoulder.

"Shi-" Maya cuts herself off as she remembers her easily-impressionable children. Turning to Riley, she asks, "What was that for?"

Riley sighs, shaking her head. "You had Austin in Austin! I was supposed to be there."

"I had no control over that. You know as well as I do, that when they're ready, they don't wait."

Riley cracks a grin. "I know." She links hands with Maya. She lowers her voice. "Doesn't mean I can't give you crap for it."

"If I couldn't waited, believe me, I would've." Riley rubs her thumb over the back of Maya's hand, imaging the fear she must have dealt with.

"But he's safe, happy, and healthy. What more could you ask for, Peaches?"

Maya smiles, turning in her seat to see her two little miracles. "Yeah, you're right."

"And now that that's settled," she laughs, "I cannot believe that you, of all people, had a kid in Texas and actually named him after the place."

"I'm never going to live this down." Maya chuckles.

"Nope."

They giggle until Lucas speaks up from his place in the back. "So, are we planning on making it home anytime today or…"

"Yeah, yeah," Riley says, "We're going." She puts the car in reverse. "So impatient," she jokes. But, nevertheless, she pulls out of her parking space and begins to drive them home, poking fun all the way.

 ** _Thanks for reading :)_**

 _To my guest reviewers: Thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate it._

 _Mystery Girl: Thank you! I love hearing that people are enjoying my writing. I hope your mother and baby siblings are doing well :)_

 _Texan Rebel: Thanks for letting me know your thoughts. Love your Pen Name, btw._


	4. Bad Dog

_Today: Lucas spends some alone time with the kids._

 _Up Next: In progress (Suggestions are welcome)_

 _Sadie is 5 and Austin is 2._

 _ **Bad Dog**_

He knows that Maya is excited when he books her a weekend trip to the Women Of Abstract Expressionism exhibit. He knows that surprising her with a getaway of art, relaxation, and no kids will give her a well-deserved break. He knows that she'll enjoy herself tremendously, as well. However, that doesn't mean that his children are making it easy for him. Yes, he wrangles them all the time-they're the loves of his life, the most important people to him. It's just that, of course, Austin has started potty-training this week. And, of course, Sadie isn't letting anyone out of her sight. He can just see how Maya leaving for the airport is going to go down. His little girl has definitely been feeling some separation anxiety ever since she began kindergarten.

"And I'll have my phone on all the time-" Maya begins, picking up her suitcase.

"I know," Lucas chuckles.

"And Austin's going to want his rabbit-"

"I know," He rubs her shoulder. "I do live here, you know."

"I know. I'm just," she drops her hands, suitcase and all, "nervous. I've never left them for this long before and I'm going out of the state."

"And I'll have it all under control."

Sadie walks over, hugging her mom's leg, her cheek pressed against Maya's stomach. "You can't leave." She hugs tighter as Maya wraps her arms around her firstborn.

"Mommy will be back before you know it," she says, injecting what she hopes is optimism into her voice.

"No!" Sadie's voice grows in volume. "I want you to stay." Her voice wavers on the words and Maya's heart breaks.

"I guess I could stay a few more-"

Lucas shakes his head. "Nope. You're already running late. I can handle this." He kisses Maya's forehead. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he adds, "You were just saying that we have to stop giving in to this."

"I know." Maya looks into his eyes, her gaze worried. "I just don't want her to think I'm leaving for good."

"She knows you would never do that," Lucas is firm. "You love her and you always come back. We all come back."

Sniffling, Sadie says, "Ohana."

Maya cracks a smile at that, chuckling softly. Ruffling her daughter's hair, she adds, "You are making it really hard to leave."

Shaking her head, Sadie repeats, "Ohana." She makes a show of tapping her foot as she waits for someone to complete her statement.

"Ohana means family." Lucas smiles.

Maya lifts Sadie into her arms. "No one gets left behind." Kissing her nose, Maya whispers, "Always."

"I love you, Mama."

"I love you, too."

Setting Sadie on the ground, Maya reaches for Austin, who has been content with figuring out how to open a water bottle for the past five minutes. She picks him up and cuddles him close. "And I love you, my buddy boy." She kisses his cheek. "Mommy loves you so much. I'm going to miss you." Then, after handing Austin to Lucas, Maya sighs. "I guess I have a plane to catch."

Lucas nods. He uses his free arm to wrap her in a hug. After he pulls back, she leans up to press her lips against his, savoring the tender intimacy they've created for themselves. "I love you," he breathes.

"Back at ya, Huckleberry." She grins. "Bye," she says as she walks out the door, suitcase in tow, a bittersweet feeling resonating in her chest.

She hears the door close behind her and the onslaught of muted cries. She knows that she has to let Sadie deal with this, going back inside will only make it worse (she found that out the hard way from her frequent visits to Sadie's school), but it doesn't make things any easier. So she gives herself a few minutes, eyes closed and head against the wheel, before she finally puts the car in reverse and heads toward the airport.

Under control. He has this under control.

Except that that was twenty minutes ago and Sadie is still upset. She's crying and pushing Lucas away, her toys thrown all over creation.

"Sadie, please listen to Daddy." Lucas rubs his temples, the tension of a headache beginning to accumulate. "Mama is coming back." He gets down to her level, sitting criss-cross on the floor. "She'll always come back." Sadie shakes her head, the tears streaming down her face. "Daddy wants to play with you. Can we have some Sadie/Daddy time? I want to see my girlie." He reaches for her, trying not to be too discouraged at her backing away. He knows how much of a Mommy's girl she is.

Finally deciding that this routine was not getting him anywhere, Lucas settles on the one thing that might work. "This probably goes against every parenting book ever, but what choice do we have?" He throws his hands up. "Hey, Sadie, do you want to go see the puppies?"

Sadie sniffles, her cheeks red, and looks up. "Puppies?"

"Yeah, we can go to Daddy's work and see the puppies!"

"And the kitties?" she breathes deeply, wiping her eyes. Lucas nods, a relieved smile on his face. Then, as though the storm clouds parted over the city, Sadie jumps up. "I wanna go!"

"Then we have to get our shoes and coats on." Following his request, Sadie runs to laundry room to find her sparkly flats and denim jacket.

"Austin, time to go," Lucas peeks his head in the playroom to see Austin playing with one of the dollhouses. "You having fun?" Lucas walks over, sitting down next to him. "Want to go to Daddy's work and see the animals?"

Austin giggles. "I go."

"Yes, you go." Lucas grins, picking him up.

Ten minutes later, Lucas and the kids are feeling the cool breeze of the fall weather as they walk the neighborhood to the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition. As they walk in the door, Austin on his hip and Sadie holding his hand, Lucas greets his staff and the visitors in the waiting room. Lucille, the receptionist, makes her way over to the children, her arms open for a Sadie hug. "Hi, guys. Didn't expect to see you in today, Boss."

Lucas chuckles. "For the hundredth time, it's Lucas." He then surrenders Austin to her outstretched arms. "And it wasn't exactly planned." He raises his eyebrow at Sadie, who has already perfected her look of innocence. "Maya left today for Denver and-"

"Let me guess," Lucille sets Austin on the carpet. "It all went to h-e-double hockey sticks as soon as she walked out the door."

Sighing, Lucas nods. "Basically." He waves to one of the volunteers. "But animals fix everything."

"You're just lucky that they're still young," Lucille smiles.

"Definitely." He grabs his children's hands. "So, I'll be in the back." He leads them toward the shelter area, Sadie gripping his hand tighter and tighter as they approach the back rooms.

"Puppies!" Sadie squeals as she sees the furry creatures. "I like them." She points to a little dalmatian who is still getting his spots. "Can I get him?" She tilts her head, sticking out her bottom lip. "Pwease?"

Shaking his head, Lucas sets Austin down. "We have MacDuff," Lucas says, knowing that they do not need another dog in their house. "And Ranger Rick."

"He's not a dog. He's a heg hog."

"Yes, he's a hedgehog. But we still need to take care of him, right?"

Sadie nods. "I still want the puppy."

Hands on his hips, Lucas gives his daughter a firm stare. "Not today. We can visit the animals, not take anymore home."

"Okay," Sadie kicks her foot. "Can I pet him?"

"Of course you can." Lucas checks the exit doors to make sure they are all shut before opening the crate. Being his own boss definitely has its perks. "Now, be gentle. He's tiny." Lucas motions to the dalmatian, beckoning the dog closer with a treat in his hand. "Good, puppy," Lucas soothes.

He then takes a step back, letting Sadie and Austin get closer. He watches their hands and body language, making sure everything is going well. "Puppy!" Austin screams.

Sadie nods, taking her brother's hand and moving it to the puppy's mouth. "Puppy kisses," she says as the dog licks his hand. Austin is laughing, always so content around animals.

Not pushing his luck, Lucas doesn't mention that this puppy is already scheduled for adoption; that conversation would not go over well. "How about we go see some of the cats?" He proposes.

"Okay," Austin says, moving toward his father.

Sadie comes, too, but stops as she sees the puppy lifting his leg. "No!" Lucas looks over and immediately opens the sliding doors to the outdoor area.

"Go outside," he commands. "Come on," he infuses some positive energy into his voice. Within seconds, the dalmatian is out the door.

"Why he try to go inside?" Sadie asks.

"He's a puppy. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do yet."

"When will he know?"

"He just learned a little bit and he'll learn more with training."

"You train?" Austin asks.

Lucas nods. "Yep. He'll be a student just like Sadie."

Sadie smiles, twirling around. "I go to school."

"Yes, you do." He ruffles her hair. "Let's go find the cats now."

"I wanna walk," Austin says, prompting Lucas to set him down.

Watching Austin get down on all fours, Sadie adds, "He's a puppy."

"Woof, woof," Austin barks before sticking out his tongue.

Sadie leans down to pet his head. "Good puppy."

"No." Austin shakes his head. "Bad puppy."

Seeing where this is going, Lucas jumps to pick Austin back up to hurry to the bathroom. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the best of luck. "Bad puppy," Austin says, looking up, his pants wet.

Lucas nods. "Bad puppy." This was going to be quite the long weekend.

 ** _Thank you for sticking with the story!_**

 _I love all of your reviews-but, please, telling me to update does not motivate me. Feedback is much better :)_


	5. Mastermess

"Can you blame me?" Maya tries to grin, her eyes squinting a little too much for nonchalant.

Lucas nods, hands on his hips. "Yeah, yeah I kind of can." He motions to the mess surrounding him. "Look at this place!"

Maya sighs, her lips turning down in a frown, as her eyes try to avoid looking at...everything. Pointing, she says, "So this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"Really?" Lucas shakes his head.

"Hey, Ranger Rick-" she pokes his chest, "Lay off the sarcasm."

"Just," he closes his eyes. "How did this happen?"

"I turned my head for one second and-" She stops herself at the look on his face. "Okay, so I may have gotten a call from work and went into the office to take it and I may have closed the door and told the kids to entertain themselves for a while. Or maybe not. It's a toss up, really." She fiddles with her fingers before giving him a guilty smile.

Lucas' shoulders drop. "I understand that you had to take the call. I just don't know how the rest of this mess happened."

Looking up from her coloring book with her big doe eyes, Sadie tugs on her dad's sleeve. "We was playing."

"Playing what, honey?"

"We was playing doctor-"

"Were playing doctor," Lucas corrects automatically before Maya hits him in the chest.

"Not the key issue, here." Maya smiles. "What were you saying, sweetie?"

"We was playing doctor with MacDuff." Sadie looks down at the table, shaking her head in a pout. "Pou-h, pou-h MacDuff. He's a sick dog." She looks up to her parents. "Imma be a puppy doctor."

Maya smiles, ruffling Sadie's hair. "That's great. But how did MacDuff get full of paint?"

"Oh," Sadie turns to see MacDuff, freshly washed and currently rolling over the new carpet. "He needed surgy."

"Surgy!" Austin affirms from his seat beside her. "Big boo-boo."

Lucas shakes his head once more, finally settling on one of the dining room chairs. "Don't you like it, Daddy?" Sadie asks, using her eyes against him.

Lucas sighs. "Baby girl, I think you're a great doctor/artist or whatever you want to be." He grabs her tiny hand. "But we don't paint the dog." He turns to Austin. "You, too. No painting MacDuff."

"Thens we go to time out?" Austin asks.

"Yeah. Then you'll go to time out."

"But what about Mommy?" Sadie asks, scowl on her lips. "She did trouble, too."

Lucas turns to Maya. "Something you want to add?"

Maya shakes her head. "Nope, can't really think of anything."

Sadie points her little finger. "She said we could paint on the walls."

"I would never-"

Lucas raises his eyebrows.

"Fine. Maybe I didn't stop them from painting on the living room walls." She throws her hands up. "But I didn't encourage it."

"Fun game!" Austin says, still coloring. "Paint is fun." He picks up a blue crayon. "Paint with Mama."

Lucas chuckles. "I think your kids ratted you out."

"My own flesh and blood," Maya says, slumping into a chair. She sighs. "Why don't I go pick up some new paint from the store tomorrow?"

"You don't have to do that. We still have some cans in the closet."

"Really?" Maya frowns. "It isn't a problem. I mean, we've had this paint for a while now-"

"One month."

"That's a while." She scoffs, jokingly. "Don't worry. It's my fault and I'll fix it."

He shakes his head. Reaching his hand out to cup her cheek, he says, "I knew you hated my color choice."

"I never…" She gives a small smile. "That may have been a possibility."

"I can't believe you framed our kids for the damage."

She grins. "They come in handy sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" He places a chaste kiss to her lips. "Next time, just tell me the truth. I mean, paint is expensive and so is fixing the damage," he says, wincing as he looks around.

"I'm so glad we skipped over the mad part." Maya turns to her children. "We're busted."

Sadie nods. "But I not going to time out." She shakes her head. "I don't like it."

"That's the point," Lucas grins. "But everyone's off the hook tonight. It's time for bed, anyway."

"Read a story?" Austin asks.

"Yep, let's go get our pajamas on. We'll read a story after." Lucas stands up, stretching slightly, before following Sadie and Austin.

As he's leaving, Maya shakes her head. "Wait." She turns in her seat, calling up the stairs. "You knew I didn't like the paint this whole time?" Boy, did he have some explaining to do.


	6. Happily Ever After

_Today: Sequel to Mastermess (Chapter 5): Life is a fairytale._

 _Up Next: But the two lines are glaring and it's hard for her to breathe._

 _Sadie is 5 and Austin is 2._

 _ **Previously in "Mastermess":**_

 _He shakes his head. Reaching his hand out to cup her cheek, he says, "I knew you hated my color choice."_

" _I never…" She gives a small smile. "That may have been a possibility."_

" _I can't believe you framed our kids for the damage."_

 _She grins. "They come in handy sometimes."_

" _Only sometimes?" He places a chaste kiss to her lips. "Next time, just tell me the truth. I mean, paint is expensive and so is fixing the damage," he says, wincing as he looks around._

" _I'm so glad we skipped over the mad part." Maya turns to her children. "We're busted."_

 _Sadie nods. "But I not going to time out." She shakes her head. "I don't like it."_

" _That's the point," Lucas grins. "But everyone's off the hook tonight. It's time for bed, anyway."_

" _Read a story?" Austin asks._

" _Yep, let's go get our pajamas on. We'll read a story after." Lucas stands up, stretching slightly, before following Sadie and Austin._

 _As he's leaving, Maya shakes her head. "Wait." She turns in her seat, calling up the stairs. "You knew I didn't like the paint this whole time?" Boy, did he have some explaining to do._

* * *

 ** _Happily Ever After_**

Maya pads up the stairs, an evil glint in her eyes, knowing she will use this new information for throwing a few jabs and teasing words (she's not really all that mad). She just makes it to the top of the stairs, hands now on her hips, when her path is blocked by a tiny human.

"Mama?" Sadie asks, pulling her thumb out of her mouth and lifting her ragged waffle blanket closer to her cheek.

"Yes, Sweetie?" Maya relaxes her arms at her side, melting at the sight of her little girl. She looks so small, her outfit replaced with warm footie pajamas that are still a little too long. Her hair is out of her braid and it falls messily around her face, but it is absolutely adorable. Sadie lifts her arms, a silent request in her eyes. "Mommy/Sadie time?" Maya asks, sliding her hands under Sadie's arms before lifting her onto her chest.

Sadie wraps her legs around Maya's waist, snuggling her face into the crook of her neck. "Mm-hmm." She pushes herself even closer, sighing gently when her mother runs her fingers through her hair.

Maya places a tender kiss to the top of Sadie's head, then slowly walks them to Sadie's room. She knows this room by heart, countless memories stored in the old rocking chair in the corner and the smudges on the yellow paint, so she leaves the light off and deftly navigates her way to the bed. Sitting down, Maya repositions Sadie so that they are both comfortable. And for a few minutes, that's all they do-just sit and snuggle and relax and breathe-and that's more than enough. It's peaceful in a way Maya never imagined her life being.

"Mama?" Sadie mumbles, her face still buried. Maya hums in question. "Story time?"

"You want to hear a story?" Maya chuckles at the tiny nod she receives that tickles her neck. "Alright, let me see." Maya runs through a list of story ideas, gently rocking from side to side.

"I wanna princess story," Sadie pipes up.

"Do you now?" Maya smiles, finally selecting a princess story of interest to her daughter.

"Once upon a time," Sadie begins.

"There was a lovely princess. She was smart and a great friend. She was silly, too. Everyone loved the princess very much."

"What hers name?"

"What is her name?" Maya corrects softly. "Her name is Princess Riley."

Sadie gasps, finally pulling her head back to glance at her mother's eyes. "Like Aunt Riley?"

Maya smiles, nodding in excitement. "Exactly like her." Maya shifts to move Sadie to her side, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "Princess Riley always wanted a prince. She wanted a perfect story, like all princesses do."

"So she gotta get Uncle Farkle?"

"Well, not at first." Maya lets out a breath of air, thinking of how far they have come from that point in their lives. From that fateful day on the subway, to the triangle, to high school, and beyond, their growth seems incomprehensible. "One day, Princess Riley saw a prince. He rode a white horse and treated her like a princess. She was happy." Maya whispers, "But the Prince wasn't a real prince. He was a-"

"Knight!"

"I like that. He was a knight."

"Uncle Farkle is a prince."

Maya laughs at her persistence. "You are absolutely right." She pulls her daughter a little closer. "So Princess Riley and the Prince went to the ball together."

"But that's not right. That's not the story."

"Well, Sadie, it is...but there's a twist. They went to the ball and had fun, but-"

"Only a little fun."

Maya smothers a grin. "Only a little fun. The Princess, though, had more fun with Farkle. But he wasn't a prince."

"He's a prince! He's a prince!"

"But one day," Maya continues, "Princess Riley found out a secret!" Maya leans in to bring her lips to her daughter's ear, lowering her voice. "Farkle was actually Prince Farkle and the Prince from before was-"

"A knight."

"Right. And Princess Riley and Prince Farkle-"

"Lived happily ever-"

"Oh, we're not quite done yet." Lucas says from his place at the door, a warm smile on his face as he watches his two blonde beauties.

"Yes, Daddy," Sadie says. "They together now."

Lucas chuckles as he makes his way over to sit next to Maya on the bed. She complies, scooting her and Sadie over a few inches. She's glad the room is dark because she's positive she's a blushing mess right now (but somehow she knows he can tell). "Mommy left out someone very important."

"Who?" Sadie scrunches her eyebrows.

"Well, she left out Princess Riley's best friend and sister, Princess Maya." He wraps his arm around the two, pressing a kiss to his wife's temple as she negates his statement. "Right, D? Mommy's a princess, too."

Sadie nods sagely. "Yes."

"So it's settled. Princess Maya was smart and-"

"Beautiful," Sadie chimes in.

"And very beautiful."

If Maya wasn't blushing before, she is now. It's weird to know he still has this effect on her; he makes her stomach turn and her legs become jelly even after all these years. Still, she has a reputation to maintain. "Such sap, Ranger Rick. I'm going to be sick," she complains.

"I haven't even gotten sappy yet," Lucas smiles. "The Princess wasn't looking for a prince. She just wanted to have a family and friends forever."

Sadie glances up at her mom, before throwing her arms around her neck. "I be your family."

Maya smiles, a tear threatening to escape her traitorous eyes. "I know, Baby." Maya hugs her a little tighter. "And Daddy."

"That's right, Sweet Pea," Lucas hums, softly running his fingers over Sadie's back.

Maya settles her emotions, the joy evident on her face. "And you know who Mommy has a happily ever after with?" She pauses for effect. "Knight Lucas."

Sadie gasps. "You're the knight!" Sadie moves to hug her father as well. "I like knights."

Maya says, so quietly that Lucas almost misses it, "Me too…me too." Then, louder, "And they lived happily ever after." Maya shifts to stand up after Lucas, cradling Sadie in her arms. "Especially when their little princess went to bed and had sweet dreams."

Sadie giggles, moving her blanket to her cheek and putting her thumb back in her mouth. Lucas pulls back the mauve covers and Maya places Sadie down, tucking her in tight. "We love you, Sadie Jade," Maya croons.

"Always," Lucas whispers as they back out of the room.

Once they're in the hallway, Sadie's bedroom door partially shut, Maya murmurs that she's going to say goodnight to Austin seeing as Lucas already has. He nods, then heads toward their bedroom, in desperate need of pajamas and their bed. He's pulled on a pair of sweats, a grey tee in his hand, when she walks back in, a gleam in her eyes.

She huffs, placing her hands on her hips in faux anger. "You knew I hated the paint color and still went through with it?"

Lucas shakes his head, amused by her antics. "To be fair, you were the one who painted the dog and our living room today."

Maya scoffs, but he can see the corners of her lips tugging up. "Okay, first of all, I didn't paint MacDuff."

"But you did paint the living room." He tilts his head, mischief overtaking his expression. "Not your best piece, by the way. I found it rather offensive." He chuckles at her mouth dropping open.

"Good art is supposed to make you feel something."

" _That_ was not art." Lucas wraps his arms around her waist, tugging her closer. Leaning in, he whispers, "Just a mess and an evil plan."

Maya falls into him willingly. "Art is in the eye of the beholder, Huckleberry. And not just an evil plan," she wags her finger, "a genius plan."

"You're contradicting yourself," Lucas says. "Not a plan, a plan, not art, art." He clucks his tongue. "Not up on your game, Hart? Hm, that's quite the disappointment."

"Oh, really," Maya raises an eyebrow. "That's what you think?" She pulls away from his embrace, opting to see his eyes. Lightly running a single finger up and down his bare chest, she smirks at the goosebumps that rise. "I'll have you know that I am definitely on my game." She leans on her tiptoes, her breath gently tickling his ear. "And I am _very_ good at this game."

"Prove it." It's a challenge, but the way he's putty in her hands, light breaths and sensitive skin, makes it sound more like a plea.

"My pleasure," she hums, "Cowboy. And that's Hart-Friar to you."

Lucas smiles, a tender moment in the midst of their lust. "Of course." And with the tip of his imaginary hat, he says, "At your service, Ma'am."

 ** _Thank you for reading! And yes, I know, I suck. I had a few rough months and abandoned some stories for a while. But I hope you still like reading about the Friar family. Reviews make me smile :)_**


	7. Patient Always Okay

_Today: Lucas is Sadie's (pretend) patient. (Requested by Aliqueen16)_  
 _Next Up: Not sure yet-prompts are welcome!_

 _Sadie is three and Austin is a few months old._

* * *

Lucas doesn't know how he ended up in this situation. This situation being him laying on his daughter's toddler bed, feet dangling over the footboard and the top half of his body contorting to stay propped up against her _Beauty and the Beast_ pillow. He counts her place eleven band aids on his body, or the fake ones she made for the game (basically a lot of tape that sure as hell will be a bitch to take off), and he has a feeling there will be more. There's a scarf wrapped around his right arm, tighter than he'd like but surprisingly the most comfortable part of the entire getup. And the evil genius behind it all? His tiny (and strong) three-year-old daughter.

Wielding a magnifier she got from Farkle for her birthday, she holds it up to her eye and leans over Lucas, pretending to examine his face. Then, without pretext (she seems to do that a lot, he realizes), she uses her fingers to pull his lips apart, moving the magnifier to his mouth. He gags at the sudden movement, but allows her to do her thing, silenced by her confused, puppy-dog eyes in an expression that is much too Maya to be completely innocent. "I gottsa check," she tisks, shaking her head slightly.

He's patient, too patient, and he begrudgingly admits to himself that it's not parenthood that's made him soft; it's just the way he's always been. And, somehow, it brings him to thinking of the yearbook that nearly led to the reinvention of their friend group, and his unintentional win for "most okay with anything." And how he still doesn't know how to feel about that time in his life. Sadie moves to his nose, pinching and prodding in a way that makes him grateful he doesn't have to live his life as a mouth-breather, mumbling something that sounds like "hairy" and "scissors" before thankfully moving on to his ears.

After taking a few normal breaths, he closes his eyes and tries to relax. It's been a long week, much longer than normal, and as much as he loves his daughter, he is absolutely exhausted. It's just that he had opened the shelter a few months ago, and with his and Maya's contacts, along with Riley and Farkle's, the shelter had really taken off. And, although it was the week after Christmas and he wanted to spend time with his family, the Christmas hustle and bustle did not slow down. People were coming in for pets and to return pets; one person would come in and his heart would leap at the knowledge of the pet finding a good home, the next person would shred his soul by bringing back a gift gone wrong. Besides the emotional upheaval, his secretary was away on vacation (well-deserved, but the shelter ran so much better with her present) and, of course, adoptions meant mountains of paperwork. And then there was the fact that Lucas was still in the process of hiring a certified shelter veterinarian, who would work as a partner on a part-time basis. Lucas, as the only shelter vet and owner, was short on time, energy, and support-and it was taking quite the toll. Yet, even when filled to the brim with fatigue and impatience, he is still the person "most okay with everything" and continues to let his daughter have fun with her little game.

"Open your eyes," Sadie says before trying to pry his eyelids open herself, causing him to groan in slight discomfort. Once opened, she moves a marker closer to his eyes, "for shots" she says. He jumps, hitting his head on the headboard, but moving fast enough to dodge the newly-identified weapon, grabbing her tiny wrists.

"Sweetie, how about you give me the shot in my arm." She pouts, but complies, moving to his uncovered arm and he barely flinches when she uncaps the marker and the cold tip makes a line on his skin. And he thinks again of how he's "most okay with anything." So he closes his eyes and lets the now-familiar motion lull him into a semi-conscious state, nodding every few minutes when he hears Sadie ask a question or talk to herself. (A habit, he supposes.)

He only grunts when his projectile of a daughter hops onto his chest, surrendering himself to her masterpiece when he hears another marker uncap near his ear, the minty smell of the green marker wafting into his nose. He yawns, relaxing into the mattress, trying to find some peace.

But then his heart has other plans and starts hammering with even more love when the door opens and he hears Maya soothingly singing to Austin as she pads over to the rocking chair in the corner. She laughs, a quiet, chuckling laugh as to not disturb their son's feeding, a soft "Ranger Rick" escaping her lips. And with her laughter, and Sadie's mumblings about her duties as a doctor, and Austin's quiet suckling, the corners of his lips curl up.

He was always known as the person "most okay with anything." But that wasn't the truth. It had just always been, at least in New York, that the people who surrounded him were his first choice, forever and always. Even when he had slept less than six hours this week, and his face was going to take an hour to clean, and he knew the house was a mess, and dinner would end up being take out, he was happy. He wasn't "most okay": he had chosen this and made this with _them_. With his friends. With his family. He was okay with them, and that was that. Anyone else and he was positive he would lose that title altogether. They were never his "most okay," but his most treasured. And if that made him "most likely to be okay with anything," then he certainly wouldn't change it for the world.

 _ **Yes, this was short and probably not entirely what was requested, but I had an idea and went with it. I hope you like it!**_


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